Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-10-08
ing would the enJoyments Of the occasion be sup

4
"Come on, you nddlers," cried the CHEEKY dame.
hoe1n' down like We used TO hev back in old Mis-
souri, when was young. Come Jon'than! Come
an ns,P ms c1l,K en- up again. m oil .des
"Poor Jon'than!" thought Phebe. "Now the
love making In the garden must stop verify
popular man must work to sustain his reputation,
! and Jonthan must tear himself away from his
lady-love, while other men can loiter as long as
But Phebe's musing was cut short by the excite
ment that ensued when no Jon'than answered the
he was.
aspect most likely him an Cindy's out sparkin'
IN iilo! some corner This nom the owner OF the
The widow had entered Just in time to hear the
neighbors ma'am," she said, with ominous polite
ness. "My Cindys been settin' in that corner ever
sence snpper and she turned for c9nirmatiSn OF
rubbed her eyes and stood up.
What" cried the widow, amazed. "Deely,
| whered you SIT that shawl?"
The girl explained that Cindy had lent it TO her,
saying she was going to walk around q while, and
Some one else had seen Cindy and Jon'than talk
"Cindy! Cindy" shrieked the mother from the
ooor. aal dozen children took up the CRY, but
| The widow turned yellowish white, and the
brsaf 81 DOVER nep Ups grew but she Old not
.. nsee ef big wagons gone" she gasped A group
Eyes; clean eoner was the shout.
Sioped, by the eternal jeewhacker!" cried old
Pap Laraway.
"Gone on to be married !" walled the widow with
ner apron TO her eyes. Then she rallied. "They We
got TO be Iolered an stopped II 1t takes the turkey
ralsln' and the hog KILN. / don't care eff she is
shall marry than any law that S sH ever was made
WMcn o. you men wants to earn honest money Dy
Startin' after theln2"
Or fbroo nyno tt,oro
grand consultation: Jonesville, Bartlett Springs or
Colusy?-which was the destination? The wagon
po aoad away way On the SOFT and the rising
Inc men who were TO give chase seemed to make
thousand deiays-to pariey, to dispute: Was 1t
70 give the fugitives chance? 1t was plain that
the shiftless Jon'than was favorite, and the
widow more feared than loved.
Jus as the widow giving the final directions
they caught her, and warning all officers and
ministers not TO dare marry her, another delay
oeen paid and that Jonthan must have the
money. 1t was the custom even at invitation
parties to ask the dancers to help pay for the
music. JOnthan was the collector, and when last
interviewed had seven dollars for the purpose.
Hes taken the fddiers' money to go OF on his
tower" said the prophets.
ooh! do hurry up and ketch them:" tmplored
the widow. 'He may strike the railroad AN go
on to Sacramento an then III never git my Cindy."
Al last the purSuerS moved along, each bound
Ior a different town, and the guests were left to
| discuss the matter
/
along. Jon'than's friends had known for quite a
While that he was up to something and every
Dody was wise now that the thing had happened
well, Scrapey," said some one to the fiddler,
'when 90 you expect TO see your ST."
| when bob tailed flies
Makes good unce pies"
said the poetical musician. "We,l make 'em a
"Mought as we'll s grow We'd the other. "we,d
e as s 10 ea Il Jest as cheap to call it
swell, don't gredge it to set 'em up" main
tanned the cheerful Scrapey. "Jonthan's helped
swear off dancin' cause he's got marrted-that is
ef he gifts married. He may git captured before he
gifts Spliced."
"No danger that Janrhan IL be caught said
another. "Tne boys like him too well. They'll be
bound to have q breakdown or sOmethin, even II
they come in sight OF him."
The widow was inside now, sobbing bitterly,
While the other women in groups discussed the
events the night had brought forth and the past
OF the lovers generally. Phebe was trying to con-
sole the mother, for none or the other women
seemed to have anything, soothing or otherwise,
ITO think" said the widow, 'after all. I've said
an done to break 1T up. that the last Twin child
my eleven would up an run on with that sneak
In varm1nt! Slch trash to mix with, too! You
could balance the soul Of any Robbins that ever
lived on the pint OF pin, an then it'd have more
marin, 1t won't come out all right aint very
smart, but can see long ways through that
Jonthan. He'll marry her an starve her, and
In around the rest o. my life. I've brought her 1p
SO keerrul, too, moaned the poor creature sShe
amt went nowhere without me, nor had no com
p'ny that want by. 1t was while was down
with the chills in shearin' time that she tux up
with that miserable Jon'than. They say he has
him. too, n TO think O. my Cindy havtn' no more
pride t. to take the leavins O. stony Greek /
the money I've spent on the ongrateful girl,
tOo!-three new calikers an g1ngham this spring
an sun-5Onnet to match each. This is what she
was ck'nin' ON when she was patchin' the
Isin star quilt and the .log-caoin quilt, an the
keepsake quilt. q. SclOOlmarm IT'S a drprful
croSS!"
Phebe pitied the forlorn woman. but she read
between the lines the story OF the stern practical
mother, and the shallow, aimlesS girl who was
captivated by the first words OF affection she had
for the idle lover.
The people started homeward after daylight
n i LOOK Phe6e TO her boarding place, and
there She had TO tell the story, and how the poor
widow was pacing up and down watching for the
| returning pursuers.
TWO OF these returned at nightfall with no
tidings; and the third came from Colusa NEXT day
reporting that a license OF marriage for Jonathan
ROBBINS and Lucinda Tibbits had been procured
TWO days before the party. Then the widow knew
That the case was hopeless, and went TO her desc
late home.
-. week afterward Phebes pupils came shouting
| and Cindy, and they want to speak to you"
She went out: "Well, school-marm," said the
complacent Jon'than, 'let me introduce you to
Miss Robbins l reckon, school-marm, l ort to
apologize for leavtn you so kind o. suddint like at
the the party that night kim pretty near tellin
That license was jest eech1n' to be showed to
you; but says to myself, "A secret bout q we'd
olnS pretty hard TO keep, and II can't keep my
own bout my own weddin' faint likely she will
It's bad enough to worry about Cindy blabbin,
so let you find out yourself Seeing the Unusual
circumstances, you'll excuse me for not bringin'
you home, won't you, ScnOOl-marm?"
Phebe granted the pardon and tried to talk to
Cindy. who kept her sun-bOnnet over her lace and
had little to say. Johthan talked for both. He
told how they went down the Grapv1ne grade and
across the plains to Willows where they had been
"Ihey give US some presents, an we bought lot
o. truck, he said, IAN now were goin' to keepin'
house up On st. John. We're goin' to raise goats
an hogs; an, schOOl-marn, we'd like to hev you
visit US any time convenient"
They drove on to their stark home on the beaut1-
sigh for their narrow barren lives and the color
| less future before them.-Anna c. Murphu in
/ The Overland Monthly.
Phenomenal Precocity.
From Tid-Bts.
"Oh, George!" cried Mrs. Merry, running to meet
| her husband at the door, "Ive something the
| best to tell YOU"
''No?" said George; "what Is it,"
! "Why, don't you think-the baby can talk!
Yes, Sir, actually talk! He's said ever and ever so
many things. Came right into the nursery and
hear him."
| George went in.
| Now, baby" said mamma, persuasively, "talk
| some for papa. Say 'How do you do papa?'n
| 1000, goo goo, goo," says baby.
| "Hear mimi! says mamma, ecStatically "Waan't
| that just as plain as plain can be?"
| George says II IL and tries to think so, too
| "NoW say I'm glad TO see you, papa"
| IDA. 0a. boo bee hoo